Here is the recipe for the Plum and Walnut Crisp that ended our meal with my parents last week. I had planned on serving homemade ginger ice cream with the crisp, but despite my best efforts with my brand new ice cream machine, the ginger custard would just not freeze. I think I will have to test some different ice cream recipes to see if I have better luck with my birthday present!

However, it is a good thing that the plums were so ripe and sweet that the crisp didn’t need much help and could be served plain with just a dollop of fresh cream. This crisp recipe makes enough for 6 desserts at $1.30 per serving.

Plum and Walnut Crisp, from Bon Appetit, July 2003
Fruit Filling:
2 1/2 pounds plums, pitted, quartered
1/2 cup sugar
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Crisp Topping:
1 cup coarsely chopped walnuts
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon salt
pinch of ground nutmeg
6 tablespoons chilled unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch pieces

Preheat your oven to 400¬?F. Toss the cut plums, sugar, cornstarch, and vanilla together in bowl. Let the mixture stand until the sugar dissolves, tossing occasionally.

While the plums are standing, mix all of the dry ingredients of the crisp topping together in a large bowl. Then add the chilled butter and rub the butter into the dry mixture with your hands until small moist clumps form. Cover the crisp topping and stick it in the fridge for 20 minutes.

After the topping has properly chilled, put the fruit into a large baking dish and then sprinkle the topping over the plums. Bake the crisp until the topping is golden brown and the fruit is bubbling up through the topping, about 40 minutes. Remove the crisp from the oven and let it cool for around 30 minutes before serving.

Serve the warm crisp with either a nice scoop of ice cream or whipped fresh cream, and enjoy.